Sion suffer another blow in fight for Euro reinstatement as court rules in favour of FIFA

CELTIC’s former Europa League opponents FC Sion were yesterday dealt a major blow in their bid to be reinstated to the competition.

CELTIC’s former Europa League opponents FC Sion were yesterday dealt a major blow in their bid to be reinstated to the competition.

The Swiss outfit were chucked out in September after fielding a host of ineligible players in their qualifying tie against Neil Lennon’s men.

Two civil courts had ruled the new signings could start - despite a transfer ban being imposed by world governing body FIFA.

However, footballing rules prohibit clubs seeking to solve disputes outside of the sport’s own judicial bodies and a higher state court in Switzerland has upheld an appeal by FIFA and the Swiss Football League (SFL) that denies Sion’s players the right to be registered.

The ruling comes ahead of a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) next week where the Swiss side will seek to overturn their ejection from the Europa League.

Sion signed players while still under a transfer ban imposed for illegally poaching Egyptian keeper Essam El-Hadary in 2008.

And Laurent Roussey’s men could now be stripped of results and points from matches where the six players - including Guinea internationalist Pascal Feindouno and former Barcelona midfielder Gabri - have played.

Opponents have played matches under protest since August as Sion rose to third in the Swiss top flight to trail league leaders Basel by five points.

In a statement, FIFA said the interim decision reached in the previous civil court case had been overturned “in its entirety”.

SFL president Thomas Grimm said: “The verdict is a victory not only for the league but for FIFA and UEFA also.”